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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Hope and Looking at the Future for the Mets and Arsenal

I was up until after 1 a.m. last night watching Dillon Gee pitch a brilliant game versus the Atlanta Braves. With a low pitch count and great stuff, Gee was given the opportunity by manager Terry Collins to get his first complete nine inning MLB victory. Of course, with this being the offensively challenged Mets, Gee was pitching with little room for error as the Mets had scored just one run. (These days it seems that if a Mets pitcher doesn't shut out the other team, he will not get a victory as the Mets seem to average about one run of offense per game....but that's another story).

Was I surprised when Gee lost the shut out and the victory with one out in the 9th? Sadly, no. Most Mets fans probably saw that coming. The only Mets player that my heart went out to was Gee who deserved so much more from his teammates on a night when he was the only player to show up (Gee had also driven in the Mets only run).

Today, however, the Mets and their fans are looking towards the future. Both the Daily News and the Post have given the Mets the backpage of today's papers as sensational rookie Matt Harvey starts the first end of a doubleheader followed by the MLB debut of the highly touted Zach Wheeler.

Harvey is already proving that he's got what it takes to be a successful MLB pitcher and Wheeler is one of the most highly rated prospects in the game. Time will tell, but for now these two young arms represent hope which is currently what this dismal Mets team needs.

As for Arsenal....the crazy season has begun. Transfer speculation is rampant and the never ending rumors of who's in and who's out have begun.

The top story continues to surround the imminent signing of Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain. According to today's Daily Express, negotiations are under way. Sounds good, but as we've learned from seasons past, the papers take an ounce of speculation and make it a lead story. In other words, we'll see who Arsenal sign once they actually do....not when The Sun or any of the other rags speculate.

Could this become....................

Another rumor that has been in the news this week is the potential departure of Laurent Koscielny to Bayern Munich or Barcelona. Some reports say he may go, others say he wants to stay at Arsenal. Of course we are all hoping for the latter, but we've been down this road before and it's a waste a time to invest so much energy in what ifs.

One thing that is true is that the club finished the 2012-2013 season in great form with an 8-0-2 record in its last ten matches. Arsene Wenger is ridding the club of dead wood such as Johan Djourou and Sebastien Squillaci and apparently has a massive amount of money at his disposal to use in the transfer market.

I still believe in Wenger and am hoping that he will collect the missing pieces to the squad this summer and that Arsenal will truly contend for every competition next season.